Mexican Wedding Cookies

These melt-in-your mouth cookies have many names: Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Pecan Balls, Snowdrops, and Snowballs. Theyre often baked during the holidays but are also popular at weddings and other festive occasions. Vary the recipe using hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts in place of the pecans.

Makes 36 cookies

What You Need:

2 sticks non-hydrogenated margarine

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted

2 cups raw pecans, finely chopped

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a nonstick baking sheet.

With an electric hand mixer or by hand, cream the margarine, granulated sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour, mixing until thoroughly combined. Add the pecans, mixing until well blended, about 30 seconds.

Measure out generously rounded teaspoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Place about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until they just begin to turn golden, about 30 minutes. To test for doneness, remove one cookie from the sheet and cut in half. There should be no doughy strip in the center.

Roll cookies in the powdered sugar while they are still hot. Cool on baking sheets before serving.